Stats for nerds is a feature of the YouTube app designed to display the detailed statistics for video and some other information: audio and video formats, video ID, your current bandwidth, viewport, dropped frames, etc. In many cases it can help you find important info and troubleshoot your Internet (mobile data) issues.

Why Use YouTube Stats For Nerds?

This is a handy little tool if you love the fine details of YouTube and content creation.

These hidden gems can help you see what codec you are using, how well your video is performing from a technical standpoint and if you are a tech junkie its a little hidden extra look behind the scenes.

This could also be interesting for starting a YouTube gaming channel as you can see what video encoding service youtube is using for your videos. YouTube has different formats for footage depending on 4k, 1080p and even footage frame-rates which might effect your end product.

Why Does The YouTube Video File Format Matter?

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Different types of video file formats exist for a reason: each one has slightly different methods of organizing the content within them, so it can affect playback, even if only slightly.

The YouTube stats for nerds can identify file formats for you. Different types of file formats and file containers may or may not be compatible with certain types of players.

Some file formats can take a single video and create a larger file size than others, which can impact the ability to upload it to certain platforms, too.

What Is The Difference Between File Containers and File Codecs?

One thing that we want to look at really quickly is the different between video file containers and video file codecs, because this will be relevant in a few minutes.

Video file containers will include how the video content is organized, and will include options that most people are familiar with, like .MP4 or .MOV which are used for Facebook video and Instagram file formats. Most file formats are ultimately named after their container.

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File codecs, on the other hand, is what’s used to compress and then decompress the file.

Certain, low-quality codecs can result in poor compression and decompression; though they can create smaller video files in many cases, the video quality is also much poorer.

As long as your video file is under YouTube’s maximum limit, always opt for the lossless codecs that yield the highest quality of video, even if it takes a little longer for it to upload.

What Video File Formats Does YouTube Accept?

Almost all video editors and creators will give you the option to choose what file format you’d like to save your content in, and the majority at least over .MOV, .MPEG4, and/or .MP4 file formats.

What’s the Best YouTube Video Format?

The best YouTube video format based on the platform’s recommendations is the .MP4 file type. Additionally, YouTube also recommends opting for the following in order to be able to create high quality 1080p HD content:

264 codec(which is one of the most efficient options out there, allowing for a small file size without sacrificing video quality)

15-20 mbps

A standard aspect ratio of 16:9(this is particularly important for mobile)

An audio codec of AAC-LC

That being said, if you absolutely can’t upload .MP4 files for whatever reason, .MOV files can work well, too. However, try to keep the H.264 codecs and aspect ratios consistent for ideal video quality on the platform.

YouTube accepts a number of different video formats, but they have recommendations for what can generate the best results and most high quality video on their platform.

States for Nerds – More Technical Requirements

When you’re creating your YouTube video and getting it ready for upload, there are a few more technical requirements and general best practices that you’ll want to be aware of in order to 1) be able to even upload your video on YouTube and 2) ensure that it looks great and is most likely to be well received by your audience.

Here are the other technical requirements that you should be keeping in mind to help your channel skyrocket to success:

The maximum file size that you can upload is either 128GB or 12 hours, whichever is less.Some older videos may be longer than 12 hours, but that cut off has been reduced. (Although really, that’s for the best; you’re going to lose people like crazy if you’re going more than 12 hours and it sounds like a nightmare to edit).

Stick to that 16:9 aspect ratio. You really want your videos to show up well when users are watching, whether they’re watching on desktop or mobile. It’s particularly important on mobile– especially with 70% of views coming from mobile— so that the video can scale properly to full screen, making it easier for users to see and engage with.